Atween me and the castle wall, The bitter arrow went aside, The false, false arrow went aside, The damned arrow glanced aside, Thy heart, my life, my love, my bride, O! narrow, narrow was the space, Loud, loud rung out the bugle's brays, O! deathful stabs were dealt apace, Oriana; But I was down upon my face, They should have stabbed me where I lay Oriana! How could I rise and come away, Oriana? How could I look upon the day? They should have stabbed me where I lay Oriana They should have trod me into clay, O! breaking heart that will not break, O! pale, pale face so sweet and meek, Thou smilest, but thou dost not speak, And then the tears run down my cheek, What wantest thou? whom dost thou seek, I cry aloud: none hear my cries, Thou comest atween me and the skies, I feel the tears of blood arise Up from my heart unto my eyes, Within thy heart my arrow lies, O cursed hand! oh cursed blow! O happy thou that liest low, All night the silence seems to flow Oriana. A weary, weary way I go, When Norland winds pipe down the sea, Oriana, I walk, I dare not think of thee, Oriana. Thou liest beneath the greenwood tree, CIRCUMSTANCE. Two children in two neighbor villages THE MERMAN. WHO would be Sitting alone, With a crown of gold, I would be a merman bold; I would sit and sing the whole of the day; And then we would wander away, away There would be neither moon nor star; But the wave would make music above us afarLow thunder and light in the magic night— Neither moon nor star. We would call aloud in the dreamy dells, They would pelt me with starry spangles and shells But I would throw them back in mine O! what a happy life were mine THE MERMAID. WHO would be With a comb of pearl, I would be a mermaid fair; I would sing to myself the whole of the day; I would comb my hair till my ringlets would fall, From under my starry sea-bud crown And I should look like a fountain of gold With a shrill inner sound, Over the throne In the midst of the hall; Till that great sea-snake under the sea Would slowly trail himself sevenfold Round the hall where I sate, and look in at the gate With his large calm eyes for the love of me. And all the mermen under the sea Would feel their immortality Die in their hearts for the love of me. But at night I would wander away, away, I would fling on each side my low-flowing locks And lightly vault from the throne and play With the mermen in and out of the rocks; We would run to and fro, and hide and seek, On the broad sea-wolds i' the crimson shells, Whose silvery spikes are nighest the sea. But if any came near, I would call and shriek, And adown the steep like a wave I would leap From the diamond ledges that jut from the dells For I would not be kissed by all who would list, Of the bold merry mermen under the sea; They would sue me, and woo me, and flatter me, In the purple twilights under the sea; But the king of them all would carry me, Woo me, and win me, and marry me, In the branching jaspers under the sea; Then all the dry pied things that be In the hueless mosses under the sea Would curl round my silver feet silently, All looking up for the love of me. |